Exclusive: Mac Miller Talks New Mixtape

Three months after Blue Slide Park, the rapper's first proper album after a string of mixtapes, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Miller's ready to unveil details about Macadelic, set for release next month.

"You’re going to get to know me the most on this project than I think you have on any other project," says the 20-year-old rapper. "The lyrics are a lot more personal. I really did some soul-searching on this one and looked inside myself. Macadelic is a journey through my mind to let people inside what I’ve been thinking about and what I think about my whole situation."

It's a situation that has seen the rapper go from hip hop purist to mixtape veteran to pop phenomenon to independent success story (Blue Slide Park was the first independently distributed debut album to hit No. 1 since 1995.) On Macadelic, the rapper primarily known for party-centric feel-good hip hop has grown up. "I’ve spent a lot of time making music that was forgetting whatever you’re thinking about and just having a good time," says Miller. "But this is where I embrace my inner craziness and problems and embrace the things inside my head that are a little weird and are driving me insane.”

Miller confirmed that Cam'ron, who the rapper recently collaborated with on "Dig That", would appear on Macadelic along with Cool Kids' Mikey Rocks, though more guest spots are expected. "It's pretty much finished," says Miller, who plans on releasing the mixtape before his Macadelic tour starts on March 27 (and before any rumored full-length with Cam'ron). "It's a mixtape, but it's basically a free album. I'm just fine-tuning it. Musically, it’s definitely a lot of different stuff than what people are used to. It’s honest. I think that I just let my guard down and opened up. It’s a process to do as an artist to get to a point where you really open up in your music and really speak your mind for real. So I think this is my step in that direction.”

Asked if he felt increased or decreased pressure after the success of Blue Slide Park, the rapper said his independent streak has only gotten stronger. "I definitely went through stages of feeling a lot of pressure from people’s eyes being on me and trying to live up to their expectations and do things the right way," says Miller. "But as I’ve gotten older—no disrespect to anybody else—it’s more just about doing whatever the f**k I want to do. I’m not here to satisfy what anybody wants to hear from me. I’m here to make music that I enjoy making and people can either deal with it or just move the f**k along."